


No Accidental Meetings

by ClydesDuckTape



Category: Paterson (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Sex, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 08:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29007195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClydesDuckTape/pseuds/ClydesDuckTape
Summary: Everyone has a watch that that waits to countdown the 12 hours leading up to meeting your soulmate.
Relationships: Laura/Paterson (Paterson), Paterson (Paterson)/Reader, Paterson (Paterson)/You
Kudos: 8





	No Accidental Meetings

_“There are no accidental meetings between souls.” – Sheila Burke_

***

Every morning the early day’s light creeps in through the blinds, slowly crawling over the floor and up the bed. Over the creases and folds of the rumpled sheets and blankets, caressing any patch of skin in its path, kissing it with its warmth.

The light reaches Paterson’s eyes as his ears wake up, hearing the Warbler’s morning song. He stretches over his bed, fingers only finding cold empty space. The same cold empty space he’s found next to him since Laura left. 

He sighs, but not in sadness or frustration. Every day for as long as he can remember, he wakes to burrow into her warmth. He wakes to take in her scents, his ears tuning to capture the shift in her breathing, hums of contentment that soon grew less frequent and into hums of irritation. Followed by her pulling away and withdrawing from his morning affections.

He reached behind him, fingers searching and grabbing his watch. Narrowing his eyes to adjust to the morning light and read the face. The hands stuck in the 12 position, still and unmoving. All three hands are as they have always been.

Out of habit he brought the watch to his ear, willing cogs to clink and clank but they sat unyielding. He remembers the morning he woke to his ears perking up. A faint ticking filling the morning’s silence. She heard it too.

They laid facing each other. Eyes roaming each other’s features. Committing the details to memory. She reached out for him, pressing her lips to his. Hands groping and pulling, reaching in desperation. She cried as he pressed into her and mumbled her love for him into his skin as she peaked. He kissed away her tears as she rode out the tremors and relaxed back into the mattress.

She laid on his chest, listening to his heart before curiosity got the best of them. She turned to her watch as he turned to his. Her watch hands were in motion. Counting down the 4 hours remaining.

A smile of relief washed over her face. Her worst fear had not come true, she wouldn’t have to learn to live without _him_.

Without turning back, she rose from the bed. Voicing her thoughts in her usual airy babble. Dreams of what this soul would bring her. What new adventures would await her. 

She flitted excitedly around the house. Packing her belongings, her favorite paintings, pulling down bleached curtains, and shoving blankets into trash bags.

Paterson continued with his morning, bathing, dressing for work, and eating. On his way out he spoke a final ‘goodbye’ to her and to Marvin, neither reciprocated the salutation.

He took his usual walking route to work, lunch box in hand, notebook tucked away in his jacket. The soundtrack of the warbler keeping him company.

At lunch he found a handwritten note. The words no longer full of love and romance as they once were but a note written with a hand going through the motions. Words that meant nothing and were biding their time.

When his day was through he walked back, the crickets keeping him company. He returned to an empty home. Walls stripped bare, picture frames emptied, thankfully she took the dog.

He now had more closet space and a guitar.

He now spent more time at Doc’s bar. Chatting away with the friendly bartender, talking local history and really anything that crossed Doc’s mind.

Doc never asked about Laura, but noticed the absence of Paterson’s wedding ring. He watched as he rebuffed advances from women who felt emboldened by the sips of well liquor or a half pint of beer. Some mistaking his genuine and curious demeanor for flirting and advances.

Finally looking down at his static watch before moving on.

He continued his mornings. Always checking his watch, changing in silence, eating in silence, walking to work in silence. Living the same day for weeks and months.

***

Paterson awoke from a sleepless and restless night, filled with nightmares of turbulent water, riding in an empty bus, and being chased by a giant Marvin all set to a steady beat.

He started his day, walking to work and sitting in his bus. He pulled out his notebook, wanting to jot down some thoughts. Pulling out his pen and putting it to paper, he inhaled to clear his mind and the sound of ticking filled his ears.

His eyes swept over to his watch, now displaying 7 hours 45 minutes. The ticking turned into a hum.

Somehow he had slept through it, not checked his watch this morning. He had woken up and gotten out of bed, skin clammy and heart unsettled. Taken a long hot shower before he put on his uniform and ate, staring at the blank walls. Walls he had painted over the remnants of her time with him in his home. He walked out of the house and once he got to work found his hands empty, having forgotten his lunch. His thoughts far from where he stood.

The hum gives way just a little bit, a voice calling to him, growing louder. Donnie had stepped onto the bus, concern in his eyes as he looked down at the pensive man.

Paterson reassured him he was fine as he started the bus, hands shaking as he turned the key and pressed buttons. As his thoughts drifted to his watch, he greeted his passengers, going through the motions of his daily. Turning the wheel, pressing the pedals, making each stop right on time, hearing the dig of a passengers stop request through the ticking and the humming. 

Some passengers greeted him as usual, but he only heard the ticking of his watch counting down the remaining hours, minutes, and seconds.

***

Your car had broken down and your carpool had gone home early. Today of all days.

You had awoken to a ticking noise, fumbled around in the dark, and held in your shaking hand your watch. Pressing the little button that illuminated your watch, greeted by the thin arm waving back and forth as it journeyed across the watch face’s circumscribed expanse.

You had fidgeted all day double checking as the seconds pulsed and your heartbeat kept time.

The sun had set as you stood on a quiet street, waiting for the bus but not alone.

You grew more despondent as the street remained empty aside from the lovely older people all without a watch. They hummed greetings as they settled on the bench next to you. 

Sighing, you had resigned yourself to missing your soulmate as the last bus pulled up.

***

His eyes grew weary and his heart ached. It was almost time but no one seemed to recognize him. Stopping at his last stop, he greeted his passengers, looking up with hopeful eyes that soon landed on you.

He felt an unfamiliar but comforting heat radiate from his chest as the ticking growing louder while he watched you fumbling with your change. You were trying to pay the fare, shoving your coins into the farebox with shaking fingers. Eyes cast down in concentration as the ticking in your ears only grew louder.

Once the last coin was deposited, you looked up in triumph at the driver. The look of victory fading and softening as you met his warm eyes. The ticking in your ears suddenly stopping and a light melody played from your watch, harmonizing with the one adorning his wrist. 

Once your watches completed their melody, the deep bass of his baritone voice took its place.

***

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> You can also find me on tumblr: Clydesducktape


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